Daniel Ponce De-Leon (30-1, 28 KOs) is set to defend his WBO Super Bantamweight Title against tough Filipino vet Gerry Penalosa (51-5-2, 34 KOs) on the undercard of the Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Juan Manuel Marquez scrap this Saturday in ‘Sin City.’
Ponce De-Leon is a descendant of the Tarahumara tribe of Mexico, who are world renowned for their long distance running ability, often running 50 to 100 mile races kicking a wooden ball in a game called “rarajipari.” The males refer to themselves as “Raramuri,” which loosely translates as “runners.” If you’ve ever seen Ponce De-Leon fight, you know he is anything but in the ring. He is an exciting TV fighter who possesses devastating one punch knockout power in his left hand, which he launches from a southpaw stance. As demonstrated in his first round destruction of Sod Looknongyangtoy, where one perfectly placed straight left dropped his worthy opponent face first, leaving him a puddle of skin and bones.
Read on to find out what Ponce De Leon had to say about his upcoming bout and his future plans.
Michael Gonzalez: How are you feeling Daniel?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: I feel really good, really calm. I am looking forward to fighting.
Michael Gonzalez: How is your training going?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: It’s going very well. My conditioning is great and I’ve been doing a lot of sparring with southpaws. I am already one-hundred percent ready to go.
Michael Gonzalez: How do you feel about facing a southpaw?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: To me there is no difference. I’ve fought a lot of southpaws as well as orthodox fighters. It does not pose a problem for me.
Michael Gonzalez: What are you expecting this Saturday?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: There is no doubt I will win. I am very confident in my conditioning and preparation. I’ve studied my opponent very well. He has many good qualities. However, with my strategy and the weapons I possess, I feel I will break him down little by little and punish him severely.
Michael Gonzalez: What is the strategy you plan to utilize?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: I plan on penetrating his closed guard. The good thing is he fights straight up waiting to counterpunch. I plan on throwing hard punches to his face, especially the jab which seems to get through easily. Once he feels my power he’ll be holding on while I break him down.
Michael Gonzalez: So who do you want next?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: The division is filling up with good fighters. Rafael Marquez just beat Israel Vazquez. There are also many strong Filipinos out there. My next fight will be against my mandatory – the undefeated and number one rated Filipino Rey Bautista.
Michael Gonzalez: Would like a shot at Rafael Marquez?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: Absolutely, but I’ve heard he is set for a rematch. I have my obligation to face my mandatory first.
Michael Gonzalez: What do you expect of Rey Bautista?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: He’s an undefeated warrior with a lot of knockouts on his record. He’s a young guy with a lot of fortitude who likes to come forward throwing a lot of punches. I feel it will be a tough fight, tougher than my fight this Saturday.
Michael Gonzalez: Would you like to avenge your loss to Celestino Caballero?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: He’s busy and I’ll be busy for a while also. He is a strong fighter, but there are also many other strong fighters in the division. We haven’t looked that far ahead.
Michael Gonzalez: Are you comfortable making the 122 pound weight limit?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: Yes, tens days before the fight I weighed in four pounds over. I am very comfortable and plan on staying here for a while.
Michael Gonzalez: What do you think about Vic Darchinyan recently stating that he would like to jump three divisions to challenge the 122 pound champions?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: Welcome! That’s great for the division – another power punching southpaw. We’ll be waiting. If he wants to fight me, come on over, I’ll be waiting.
Michael Gonzalez: What would you like to say to the fans?
Daniel Ponce De-Leon: I would like to thank them for their support. There are many strong fighters already in the division and the new generation looks strong as well. But I am strong also and will hold on to my title for a very long time. The people will leave the arena very pleased after seeing me fight.
